Deterioration
by Spencer Klondike 2.0
Summary: After almost years of fighting in the war, Iggy and Lemmy find themselves headed home for a well deserved break. However a hidden agenda, and a group of hitmen, make for a hellish night :oneshot: :violence: :language:


**Disclaimer: Once again nothing belongs to me**

* * *

The night in the Terra di Koopas countryside was still and quiet, not a sound but the cool evening breeze. Four figures made their way into the night, each dressed in dark clothing. Suddenly the sounds of airships roared through the starry skies. Time was running out, and phase one of their plan was just about to begin.

In the distance, high rise buildings breaking the horizon served as a borderline between the quiet country and the bustling night life of the city. Tonight was different though, crowds of people sat and waited at a hangar built at the edge of the city. The previous airships in the night sky now were illuminated by searchlights, the boats made their landing as the crowds cheered and roared.

Weary, and war torn, the relieved soldiers stepped off the ramps and headed to their families. Yet no one was quite as relieved to step off that ramp as Iggy Koopa. He and his brother Lemmy, had earned a short reprieve from the war. The duo and their respective armies successfully brought down the city of Seaside town. It was all over the press, the biggest trading post in Plit belonged to the Koopa army. Now for some rest and relaxation on their home turf.

Iggy made his way down the unloading ramp and searched the crowd, there really wasn't much family he was looking for. His dad was definitely not going to be there, he'd be lucky if Kamek even showed. No he was looking for Lemmy's signature Mohawk in the sea of joyful tears.

"Hey dude I'm over here!" Lemmy shouted from the opposite end of the crowd, Iggy peered over a few heads and there he was.

"Lemmy! Man c'mere!" Iggy ran to his older brother.

"Stars what a night, man I've never been so happy to lay down on that airship cot." Lemmy air hugged his bro.

"No kidding, jeez my back's killing me from sleeping on the ground."

"I can't believe seeing this dump would be the happiest moment of my sorry life." Lemmy said as he stared out into the neon lit city.

"Remember when they used call this place city of dreams?" Iggy frowned.

"Yeah before dad snapped." Lemmy nodded.

"Yeah..." Iggy whispered, the excited crowd drowned out his voice. "So what are we doing in celebration of our homecoming? Are gonna go see dad, Jr, Kamek?"

"Psh, screw that, I booked us a five star hotel down the road, we're going to relax in style my man." Lemmy laughed. "Well...if that's what you wanna do?"

"Of course!" Iggy gasped. "You think I'd turn down that to go home to rotten old grouch?"

"I like your thinking dude, now c'mon, I can just smell the delicious room service meals we're gonna be eating tonight."

"Yeah, say good bye to the 'gump'" Iggy sighed.

"Good bye frikkin Gump!" Lemmy shouted into the airship and laughed. "Now c'mon grab your bags before the hotel forgets about us."

Just outside the hangar were taxis waiting to go. The two teens nabbed the first cab in sight, eager smiles on their faces as they drew ever closer to the hotel. The cab driver turned around and sighed, it was going to be a long night for him.

"Yo, where you goin?" He asked.

"Um...it's some stupid fancy schmancy hotel, la loomy...la lowmy..." Lemmy muttered frustrated.

"Hey you booked us rooms at the La Lumiere Au Neon!" Iggy gasped. "Jeez man good taste."

"Yeah that's it." Lemmy nodded blushing.

"Right, know the place, got a cousin as bellhop up there." The cab driver nodded as he drove them off. "So how'd you two get reservations at that fancy joint?"

"I have my sources." Lemmy winked.

"Oh I know you, you're one a Bowser's kids." The cab driver rolled his eyes. "Damn rich playboys, don't break anything, I know your types."

"Hey you got me all wrong dude." Lemmy frowned. "I'm just a guy looking for a good time with his good old friend and brother here after a long hard fight."

"Psh like you fought in that battle." The cab driver scoffed. That wiped Lemmy's smile right of his face.

"To hell I didn't fight in that battle! I was right there when a good pal named Terrance got his brains blown out, and I had to tell his older brother that he wasn't going to come home with us. And just how in Eldstars name do you think I got this " Lemmy snapped and pointed to heavily bandaged area on his shoulder.

"Whoa Lemmy, calm down." Iggy replied nervously. "Don't get too worked up about this."

"Fine, fine, let him just walk all over us, damn pussy, probably never saw or heard a gunshot outside of his stupid television set." Lemmy growled. Iggy rolled his eyes, Lemmy was going to be just like Ludwig pretty soon.

The cab driver was silent the rest of the trip, as was Lemmy. Iggy looked at his brother with sad eyes. War was hell, and it was already changing Lemmy drastically. Once the joker, he was slowly turning into a bitter hating person. This vacation was exactly what he needed, maybe by the end he'd back to normal. Or at least Iggy hoped so.

Fortunately the hotel was just up ahead, and they could get that room service meal and the plush feathery beds. Just relaxing and watching TV like they did early mornings before school. Just hanging out. If they were lucky this was going to be one of those hotels with a built in video game system. Iggy crossed his fingers in anticipation as he stepped out of the taxi cab.

In the street just outside hotel, a lone Koopa in the alley watched from the outside as Iggy and Lemmy made their way inside. He could see a bellhop slowly loading luggage into a luggage rack as the two obtained their long awaited room keys. The loner in the street pulled out a small briefcase and walked inside as soon as the two had left.

"Excuse me, Bellhop!" He shouted.

"Yes?" The bellhop turned around

"Those two young men forgot some luggage. It was just laying on the sidewalk." The koopa handed it to the bellhop.

"Jeez, thanks, man if I had missed this I'd lose my job for sure." the nervous bellhop threw the briefcase onto the luggage rack. "Thanks again."

"Not a problem." He nodded, a sly smile on his face.

* * *

"See this is the life man!" Lemmy slumped down into a bed.

"Yeah no kidding." Iggy smiled as he slouched into a chair, he could already feel his troubles melting away. Lemmy reached over to a phone, and dialed room service.

"Yo room service?" He asked. "yeah could you send up that special, and how about some of that fancy black wine to go with it? No I'm not too young...my dad's the damn king! Yeah you're talking to Lemmy Koopa, no jokes...yeah you'd better be sorry."

Lemmy hung up the phone and sighed. He picked up the television remote, and immediately started channel surfing. Iggy tried to ignore Lemmy's bad attitude for just a bit longer, the vacation hadn't quite set in yet.

"Anything good on?" Iggy randomly asked.

"Meh, same old crap...ooh 101 worst ways to die is on! I can't believe they still air this." Lemmy laughed. "Can you believe some the stuff they air on here?"

"Barely, but with the stuff I've seen, who knows." Iggy chuckled.

A light knock on the door and Lemmy shot out of his seat before Iggy could even react. The smell of roasted turkey wafted in, probably marinated in some delicious exotic sauces. The cart was wheeled in as Lemmy grabbed the food off the plate.

"yeah, yeah, here's the money." Lemmy threw a bag of coins at the room service guy and sent him on his way. "Man Iggy check out some of this stuff."

"Smells great! Damn haven't had real food in who knows how long." Iggy licked his chops and grabbed a plate with the roast on it.

"And to down it, a fine glass of some fancy wine!" Lemmy popped the cork off with his teeth and poured himself a glass. "C'mon dude, have a cup."

"Nah I don't drink." Iggy shook his head. Lemmy chugged his glass and stared at Iggy.

"Don't drink? Man how'd you make it this far in the war?" Lemmy sighed. "I insist, have a glass."

"Wait you've been drinking?"

"Yeah this cheap ass whiskey the soldiers bring from home." Lemmy nodded pouring himself another glass. "Good stuff once you get that acquired taste."

"Lemmy what in all of Star Haven is wrong with you!" Iggy snapped.

"Wrong with me?"

"Yeah...you've changed, a lot."

"So what? We've all changed, part of growing up." Lemmy shrugged. "You're different too, you're way too paranoid Iggy."

"I'm just cautious, and what about you're a complete and total-"

"Cautious? Iggy, you flinch every time something moves, you're a wreck, a nervous emotional wreck." Lemmy rolled his eyes. "We're here to relax, and that's what I'm doing, I'm trying to help you. Look I promise I'll stop with my little outbursts if you just have a little fun, okay?"

"Fine..." Iggy said after a moment of thought. He took a glass from Lemmy and sipped it. The taste was awful, but he just kept on going, to keep Lemmy happy, who was already on his third glass.

* * *

The nervous bellhop from before rushed the luggage to the door, hopefully they wouldn't be too pissed that he took so long. Just those damn distractions floating around. Whatever, he was there now. He straightened his hat and tie and knocked on the door.

"Yo...Iggster...could...you 'hic'...get that?" A drunken slur on the other end of the door. The bellhop winced as a huge thump sounded from behind the door.

"H-hold on, I'm coming!" The apparent 'Iggster' replied.

These guys were drunk and not a care in the world, which slightly relieved the bellhop. They wouldn't be too worried about schedules. With a relieved sigh the door finally opened.

"Hey I've got your luggage here." The bellhop smiled.

"What? Luggage? What luggage?" The tall kid at the door asked.

"Your clothes? Bags?" The bellhop shrugged.

"Oh, right, yeah just...set that down over there."

"Um...you guys okay?" The bellhop asked, two empty wine bottles were cast aside on the floor. The kid who so kindly asked his apparent brother to answer the door was sprawled on the bed with a half full glass laying on its side.

"Never been better man...yeah have a good night." The taller one yawned.

"Alright...good night." The bellhop muttered as he left the room, he felt sorry for the maids who were going to clean this room the following day.

Iggy sifted through the luggage, everything was disoriented. He was trying to find his pajamas, or something more comfortable to sleep in than just his shell. Lemmy was already about to pass out on his bed when he turned towards Iggy.

"Hey Iggster, could you find my bag? It's...'hic' got my name on it." Lemmy stuttered.

"Yeah sure thing." Iggy nodded. "Hey, is the briefcase yours?"

"Briefcase?" Lemmy muttered.

Iggy pulled up the small briefcase, he had never seen it before in his life. And apparently nor had Lemmy. He set the briefcase down on his bed and tried to open it. Unfortunately it was locked.

"Damn, I hope this person isn't missing anything." Iggy groaned. "Jeez doesn't even have a name or anything on it."

"Meh who cares, why can't you open it?" Lemmy muttered.

"Locked..."

"Can't you pick locks or something?"

"Dude...even I know how stoned I am, I can't barely see anything." Iggy grumbled. "Guess we'll have to wait until morning."

"Whoa do you hear that?" Lemmy muttered.

"Hear what? The TV?" Iggy replied.

"No." Lemmy replied and muted the TV. "That beeping."

Iggy listened around he could hear it, a faint rhythmic beeping. He looked for where ever the sound could possibly come from, but to no avail he found nothing. Confused, he pressed his ear against the briefcase. There it was, the beeping was most definitely coming from the inside. Suddenly the beeping shifted it's pace, it started getting fast. Iggy wondered what exactly makes such a sound. He knew that those fancy military countdown watches beeped. Usually you used it as a timer on...explosives. Iggy screamed and threw Lemmy's bed on top of him.

The beeps grew faster and louder, Iggy had no time to think as he ran away. He shifted his head just a little bit so that the right side could see the briefcase. In a matter of seconds a huge ball of fire spewed out of the briefcase and threw shrapnel and fire all over the place. Iggy cried out as some piece of wood sliced the side of his face, splinters exploded into his eye. The force of the explosion threw him against the wall and knocked the wind out of him.

All that remained of the hotel room was shattered shrapnel of the fancy furniture, and two over turned beds. One bed shook around as Lemmy crawled out from the mattress. Somehow it cushioned him from the explosion, keeping him safe from the hell that broke loose mere seconds prior. Lemmy looked around, his head ringing from the alcohol and the explosion. On the far side of the room, he saw his brother's broken bloody body slumped against the wall.

"Iggy!" Lemmy sobbed and ran over to him. Bloody gashes seared along the sides of his face while various burn marks littered his body, and his right eye was swollen shut, blood and what appeared to be tears oozed through the crack.

"H-help...help." Iggy whimpered.

"Stars don't quit on me now, just hold on...please hold on." Lemmy cried for the first time since the war had started.

"Kill me...end it...please." Iggy coughed, blood dribbled down his mouth.

"Oh hell no, fight through the pain Iggster...don't die, don't die." Lemmy buried his head into his brothers side. The doors burst open behind him as fire fighters dashed in. One tore Lemmy away from Iggy, as two others scooped up Iggy and carried him away, a few others sprayed the burning room.

Lemmy fought the firefighters grip and slipped away. He could only scream for Iggy to hold on, soon it became an incoherent mess as he fell on his face. The alcohol in his system and the shock, threw Lemmy into sobbing frenzy. Firefighters scooped him up and carried the broken Koopa down the halls.

* * *

The ER waiting room cold and nearly silent. Lemmy was wrapped up in a blanket; sitting on one of the hard chairs while watching the news blaring from a television screen. He couldn't believe what just happened, the sheer insanity, the pain. And the news didn't make anything better.

"In other news, there was a shooting at Castle Koopa. Three were wounded, and two were found dead." The News Anchor read her report, Lemmy gasped, _Jr and dad_ he thought. "Among the dead, were Kamek M. was killed reportedly defending the young prince while John 'johnny' Doe, a guard, was killed upon invasion of the castle."

Lemmy didn't know whether to sigh with relief or cry in pain. Kamek was more a father to him than his own dad ever was. Now he was suddenly gone, him and Iggy in one night. Life was a bitch. With a silent sob he turned off the TV and curled up into a ball on the chair. Finally the surgeon came out, his jacket covered in blood, his eyes solemn.

"Did he make it?" Lemmy asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I'm glad to say, your brother's going to live." The surgeon sighed. "However a few of his internal organs were badly damaged in the explosion and a few ribs were broken."

"Oh jeez..." Lemmy gasped.

"Not to mention that we were unable to save his right eye in the operation. We had to remove what was left of it."

"What!"

"Just be happy he's alive."

"Can I see him?" Lemmy asked. "Please?"

"Fine, just please be careful around him." The surgeon replied.

Inside the ER Iggy was limp on a bed, an iv stuck in his arm as well as a breathing apparatus strapped to his mouth. A huge bandage was wrapped around his eye, while stitches laced his face. His eye squinted open, the pupil found it's way to Lemmy.

"Hey bro..." Iggy muttered, his voice muffled by the breathing apparatus.

"Hey Iggster." Lemmy smiled, tears welled up in his eyes. "How you feeling?"

"L-like shit." Iggy replied, his face trying to form a pathetic excuse for a smile. "Better than I was before."

"I thought I lost you there."

"You did lose me, but I'm back now."

"Oh jeez Iggy, why'd they have to do this to you." Lemmy cried.

"It happens." Iggy muttered.

"Well you're sure optimistic for a dead man talking." Lemmy replied. "I guess the shock hasn't set in yet."

"Shock?" Iggy muttered.

"Here." Lemmy grabbed a small mirror on a table and held towards Iggy's face.

There was silence, his one eye suddenly took in all the information. He looked like a pathetic rag doll that went through a blender. His face, beaten and broken, his eye, it was gone. It was hideous, he hated it. He wanted Lemmy to take it away, but he could stop staring. Finally, he simply closed his eye and silently weeped inside himself.

"Iggy?" Lemmy whispered.

"Leave...please leave." Iggy replied. "I just want to be alone."

"But-"

"Go." Iggy whispered, his voice hoarse. Lemmy looked down and walked away, there was nothing he could do. Nothing he could say. He was helpless.

Iggy didn't know what to do. He was going to walk out of this hospital deformed, broken. What was supposed to his vacation, was a nightmare. Why him? A question he'd never find the answers for. What would the average person on the street think of him, hell what would his family think of him? He was going to face them all, soon enough.

Soon enough, he'd find out the true face of society, the true face of people. The evil within.

* * *

A/N:Sorry to all Iggy and Lemmy fans.

Alright now to answer a few questions

_Terra Di Koopas is the Koopish term for the Darklands (aka world 8) _

_La Lumiere da neon means Neon Light in French _

_One of my previous stories sort of explains the War that these two have been fighting in_


End file.
